A certain theory on stuttering

[Geoff]

I'm not sure what to make of THIS (http://www.mnsu.edu/comdis/kuster/Infostuttering/steringdies.html) article. In a nutshell the author is basically saying things like fear, anxiety and the anticipation of thinking you might stutter is what actually leads to continued stuttering.

At first I thought this is spot-on. People who speak fluently don't give a second of thought to what they are going to say or how they are going to say it. It just comes out spontaneously and naturally. So it would suggest that the pre-speaking period of thinking must contribute to the stutter. But then how do you explain stuttering when you are on your own or with close friends or family when you are completely relaxed and at calm with yourself and with speaking?

When I'm speaking to my mum for example, I have no fear or anxiety about speaking. She knows I stutter and I'm comfortable with speaking around her because I don't feel any embarrassment or awkwardness about stuttering. Even when I'm speaking on my own I'll occasionally stutter. Yes, the stuttering is less intense usually but it's still there. But I will often stutter the same amount when talking to my own mother to when also speaking to a stranger when the fear and anxiety is present.

I'm sure all these things contribute to stuttering but I don't think its the main reason. I don't know. One minute I think I'm onto something with why I stutter, but then my stutter will continue to do illogical and irrational things every week completely ruining any theory I had.

What do you guys personally believe is the cause of your stutter? I seem to change my opinion weekly.

[mawilliams]

Hey Geoff,

I would recommend checking out a book called "Mastering Blocking and Stuttering: A Cognitive Approach to Achieving Fluency". Now some people do dimiss the theory taught here, but I'm finding it really interesting and it has actually helped my mindset when it comes to stuttering and I have seen a marked improvement.

You can pick it up from Amazon: here (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Blocking-Stuttering-Cognitive-Achieving/dp/1904424406/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245313675&sr=8-1).

[mufaa]

I don't know were i read or heard this, but this guy said that if fear and anxiety were the key elements of a person's stutter, there would be many more stutters in the world. Everyone feels fear, nervousness and anxiety. But not everyone stutters. That theory is absolute bollocks.

I stutter when i speak with my best friend, even though he is one of the only people i can be completely relaxed with. I don't feel fear or nervousness when i speak to them. Then why am i stuttering?

[Geoff]

Yes, exactly. I'm pretty sure anxiety plays some part in stuttering. For example, when it is coming up to your turn to introduce yourself the anxiety probably doesn't help. But I don't think it's the main reason.

I still think my stutter is heavily a physiological problem, rather than psychological. I think breathing has a lot to do with it and the muscles involved with speaking and in my abdomen. I think my mechanisms involved in breathing passively continue to function incorrectly due to it being habit now. For example, when I'm speaking I subconsciously always tense my abdomen and probably tense other muscles too. But there is bound to be a psychological factor too.

[stutteringgirl4]

I stutter when I talk to close friends and family members too and Im relaxed around them. I have alot of fear and anxiety when Im going to go somewhere that I know I'll have to speak. But I dont think fear and anxiety cause my stuttering, I think stuttering causes my fear and anxiety.

[Leys Geddes]

That article was written a long time before we knew for certain that the root cause of stammering is a neurodevelopmental disorder - which emerges in childhood as a symptom that the brain's neural circuits for speech are not being wired normally. Now try re-reading the article in that light!


LEYS

[Geoff]

That article was written a long time before we knew for certain that the root cause of stammering is a neurodevelopmental disorder - which emerges in childhood as a symptom that the brain's neural circuits for speech are not being wired normally. Now try re-reading the article in that light!


LEYS

The thing is, I didn't start stuttering till I was about 14 year old. I don't understand how I could speak perfectly throughout my childhood and then suddenly go downhill and start to loose my fluency. It's not like I had any sudden, traumatic experience or anything of the sort to trigger it. Unless it was dormant all these years? Who knows.

[Leys Geddes]

That kind of thing sometimes happens, Geoff, and it's very unusual, but it is almost certainly caused by some neurological change. Although it may not be possible for a speech therapist, or even a neurology expert, to say exactly why it has happened, please ask a qualified person for their view on why and then, secondly, on how to deal with what appears to be the associated dysfluency. Good luck, mate.

LEYS

[Adrian]

I suspect this Jack Manear guy had a very mild stutter which only manifested itself when he was nervous. For those of us who have struggled with severe stuttering issues, this interview is just not relavent.

To answer Geoff's question, "what do you guys personally believe is the cause of your stutter?"

It really does not matter what we personally believe, the facts and research are pretty clear. Stuttering is at its root a neurophysical problem.

[Adrian]

The thing is, I didn't start stuttering till I was about 14 year old. I don't understand how I could speak perfectly throughout my childhood and then suddenly go downhill and start to loose my fluency. It's not like I had any sudden, traumatic experience or anything of the sort to trigger it. Unless it was dormant all these years? Who knows.

Geoff, to add to Ley's comments. Keep in mind the brain is still developing until our early 20's. Some people stop stuttering before this age because the brain corrects itself. It is possible yours did the opposite and took a wrong turn in developing.